The Twelve Doors
by pike1
Summary: A young man discovers that buying the complete set of buffy and angel dvds opens doors he never imagined.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Twelve Doors Author: Saint Saucey E-Mail: Rating: PG Disclaimer: I don't own the Joss Whedon universe, but thanks to the studios desire to make a buck or fifty I was able to purchase all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all five Seasons of Angel. They all fit snuggly on one shelf of my tower and that gave me the idea.  
Classification: Fantasy / Sci-Fi (I'm totally ripping off "The Lion The Witch and the Ward Robe" and "Sliders)  
Spoilers: None. You should have all seen the different seasons of Angel and Buffy.  
Summary: A teen from the real world completes his collection of Buffy and Angel DVD sets and when he places Angel season five on the shelf it opens up twelve magical doors to the Buffy and Angel universe. He can enter each one, one by one and participate in the heroes greatest battles. But only if he can survive the wait.  
Coupling: I'm going to flirt a little with Dawn, who will be in all seven chapters about Buffy.  
Feedback: Please do, this will be my most ambitious fan-fiction yet, and hopefully I'll actually write all twelve chapters. (P.S.) Look for my other story ""Magical Midnight" and its up coming sequel which should be written by July 19th.  
Distribution: Meh I don't care, post it, print it, read it to your kids at bed time just give me credit.

Title: The Twelve Doors Chapter Title: Prelude Place and Time: Portland Oregon Wal-Mart 11:46 p.m.

"I'm not opening the box until midnight Charlie. No Matter how long you sit and drool." Laura was taking her time. She was filling in for Leigh while he was on break. 

That was Charlie's job during the days he worked. But tonight was Tuesday. One of his two nights off. He was there though. Waiting on the new releases. Used to new release came out on Mondays. But for some reason, the powers that be decided to change it Tuesday nights. 

"Come on Laura. You know I'm going to buy it. You can't let me hold it till mid-night."

"Nope. Them's the rules. At midnight I open the glass case and Angel Season Five is yours. Till then , you can sit and stare."

Fourteen excruciating minutes later and it was his. Season Five of Angel. The last DVD set of the Buffy verse collection. And it was going directly on his shelf. He would have loved to watch it that night. Sit home. Crack open a pint of cookie dough ice cream and sit in heaven for 22 hours. But he had made plans.

The Oregon chapter of The Monster Inc Fan Club was meeting in a week and a half for a fifteen day convention at, of all things a local church gymnasium the fifteen days were going to be filled with Buffy and Angel episodes, trivia games, karaoke contests, costume contests. They were even going to reenact scenes from Once More With Feeling.

All of the members of the club add sworn an oath not to watch season five of Angel and season seven of Buffy. He had broken part of the oath by watching season seven of Buffy. From what he heard from his in his conversations with his friends most of the others had broke that part of the oath as well. 

But he swore to him self that he would not to break that part of the oath as he headed up the stairs to his apartment. The DVD sets was going directly on his shelf. It was going to fit perfectly too. 

It was crazy, the DVD set was going to fit so snug. It wasn't going to be too tight, but there wasn't going to be any extra space on the other side. It was like the DVD set people and the people who had built his DVD tower had collaborated so that it fit perfectly. 

Sliding open his door he stepped into his apartment and turned on the light. His room was a haven of Geekdom. Action figures on shelves all over the place. Framed comic books and movie posters hanging on the walls. Even his bathroom was decorated in a Batman motif. 

Best of all was his DVD Towers. He had been collecting DVD sets since television producers realized that they could make money by selling completes seasons of shows to devoted fans at extreme prices.

Buffy was the first DVD set he had ever bought. Now he owned at least twenty DVD sets some complete, some almost complete some were shows that had been canceled early and the television producers had released the shows on DVD with the episodes that had never been aired. 

Buffy was his crowning achievement it was arguably one of the best shows ever produced. And Sat at the top of his DVD tower. Pulling Angel season five from the Wal-Mart bag, Charley tore the plastic packaging from it. He held his breath as he slid it in next to the rest of the DVD sets. 

"Perfect," Charlie whispered to him self as he stared at the DVD collections. 

He was still wearing his black leather trench coat. He had worn it to the store despite that fact that it was early March and the weather wasn't even close to cold. He'd worn it for the look. Which was why he bought it in the first place. It was one of his few big purchases. Most people thought he had bought it because of Keanno Reeves and those stupid Matrix movies. But no. It was because of Angel. 

Well Angel and Spike. It was easier to make him self look like Spike. Die his hair platinum blonde, dress in all black from his shit kicking boots on up to his black leather trench coat. His red cotton button up the only splash of color. 

On the other wall, across from his television set was his bulletin board. Somewhat reminiscent of Principle Wood's in season seven the two bulletin boards were set on hinges and held closed by a pin at the bottom. Pulling the pin he swung the doors open and stared at his weapons. 

It was no where near the collection of weapons that Angel, Buffy or even Principle Wood had but some of them were very similar.

He had four throwing axes. Exact replicas of the ones that Willow uses on Glory near the end of season five, and you can clearly see a pair in Principle Wood's weapons cabinet. Two wooden baseball bats, one with the end sawed into a point, for a use as a blunt object or a stake which ever the occasion called for. The other was a normal bat, with a fish hook like the one the killer wears in "I know What You Did Last Summer." wired to the end of it. (Xander uses one like it in Becoming Part One) 

There were various knives and daggers and even a sword or two. But the prize of the collection was his double ratcheting stakes. Those were home made, not bought in some cheap replica store. Those were designed by him, based off a really bad photo in his Angel The Case Files volume 1, not meticulously pieced together by hired workers in some factory. As far as he knew, aside from the mutant enemy prop department. He had the only working set. 

Taking them out of the case, he flicked his wrist, snapping them into the armed position. Hearing a noise behind him he turned around. There was a light shinning brightly from his DVD tower. 

"What the hell." 

There was no light in his DVD tower, the Buffy and Angel DVD sets sat so far back in the shadows that he had to strain his eyes to tell what they were. Yet there it was, a light shinning brightly from the very corner of his Buffy shelf. Like a door barely cracked open. 

He cautiously stepped over too the Tower. Slowly reaching his hand out, he grabbed Buffy Season One to pull it from the tower. A jerk, something pulling him from behind his navel (I'm totally steeling from J.K. Rowling here.) and he was no longer in his apartment. 

A library. He was in a library. An oddly familiar one too. He'd never been here him self, that was for sure but he certainly recognized it. Suddenly he hears voices.

"It can't be. You've got to be reading it wrong." 

"I've checked it against every volume I have. It's real."

"Some Prophecies are dodgy. Mutable. Buffy her self has thwarted them time and again. But this is the Pergamum Codex. There is nothing in here that does not come to pass.

"Then your reading it wrong."

"I wish to God I were. But its very plain. Tomorrow night Buffy will face the master and she will die."

It all became perfectly clear. Charlie knew where he was. He knew this place. This was the Sunny Dale High library. The men talking were Rupert Giles and Angel, and in a days time. Buffy Summers would face her final battle….

…To Be Continued… 


	2. Chapter 2

Title: The Twelve Doors Author: Saint Saucey E-Mail: Rating: PG Disclaimer: I don't own the Joss Whedon universe, but thanks to the studios desire to make a buck or fifty I was able to purchase all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all five Seasons of Angel. They all fit snuggly on one shelf of my tower and that gave me the idea.  
Classification: Fantasy / Sci-Fi (I'm totally ripping off "The Lion The Witch and the Ward Robe" some "Harry Potter"  
Spoilers: None. You should have all seen the different seasons of Angel and Buffy.  
Summary: Arriving at the Sunny Dale Library just moments before Rupert Giles reveals Buffy's destiny knowingly to Angel, and Un-knowingly to Buffy. He comes to the realization that he's gonna be here for Buffy's first final battle. Coupling: I'm going to flirt a little with Dawn, who will be the last three chapters about Buffy.  
Feedback: Please do, this will be my most ambitious fan-fiction yet, and hopefully I'll actually write all twelve chapters. (P.S.) Look for my other story ""Magical Midnight" and its up coming sequel which should be written by July 19th.  
Distribution: Meh I don't care, post it, print it, read it to your kids at bed time just

Title: The Twelve Doors Chapter Title: 1 "Park Your Car In The Hallway And Come On In"  
Place and Time: Sunny Dale High School Library Just moments after Giles has revealed Buffy's fate to Angel

"How the Hell did I get here?" Charlie muttered to him self. 

"I got a better question for you," A voice behind him called out. "What the hell are you doing here?" 

Charlie felt something sharp sticking into his back. 

"If that's a stake, it's not going to work." Charley turned around. There, in living color was Buffy Anne Summers. "It's not what you think. I don't bite."

Buffy was taken aback. Those were Angel's words. It was one of the first things he had said to her when she attacked him after he followed her down an alley.

"Who are you?" Buffy demanded. 

Her raised tense voice had gotten the attention of Giles and Angel. 

"Buffy?" Giles called out. "Are you there?" 

"Over here Giles. In the mysterious stranger section."

"We're coming, Buffy." Angel called out as he and Giles hurried to her aid.

"Angel, what are you doing here?" Buffy asked, never taking her eyes off the stranger. 

"I came to talk to Giles about a," As Angel came around the corner his voice trailed off. 

"Spike," he snarled. He lunged forward past Giles and slammed Charlie into the nearest book case. He was reaching for his Buffy's stake when he suddenly stopped and sniffed the air. Spinning Charlie around, he slammed him back up against the book case and got in his face. 

"You're not Spike. But you look like him. Who the hell are you and why are you lurking in the shadows." 

"My name is," Charlie paused. 

He was here, in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was only a day away from the day she dies facing the master for the first time. Could he change it, should he change it. In every time travel movie ever made there were rules. If you go back in time, you don't change the course of history. Doing so would cause damage to the timeline. That's what he had done wasn't it. He'd time traveled, as well as jumped into some alternate dimension where Buffy, Angel, Giles and Sunny Dale existed. He had to assume that everyone else who had ever appeared in a Buffy or Angel episode existed. But he couldn't change the timeline. If he stopped Buffy's first death, then every thing would change. He would only know what would happen this once. After that, every thing would be different.

"Simon, Charles Simon. The council sent me. They know what's happening." 

"The watchers council sent you?" Giles asked, alarmed. "Are you here to replace me?" 

"No, you aren't being replaced yet Rupert. But you need me. I'm here to see to the slayers well being."

"The watchers council sent you here to protect me. You're barely out of high school your self."

"And you're American. I don't know that I've ever heard of an American watcher."

"I never said I was a watcher Giles. I'm a member of the council. I'm part of their wet works division." 

"A little young to be a paid killer aren't you?"

"You're focusing on the wrong thing. Buffy's going to die tomorrow. Unless you trust me." 

"What?" Buffy cried. She grabbed Charlie from Angel, and slammed him back up against the book shelf. "You threatening me punk."

"You're threats not from me, is it Rupert.

(Nearly an hour later.)

Buffy started laughing. Standing up she startles Giles and Angel, but not Charlie. He had seen this before. It hadn't played out quite like this but he but still it was pretty similar. She begins pacing and asking questions all at the same time. 

"So that's it huh? My time is up. I remember the drill. "One slayer dies, the next one is called." I wonder who the next one is. Are you gonna train her Giles? Or will they send someone else?"

"Buffy I," He begins. But he really can't think of anything to say.

"Does it say how he's gonna kill me? Do you think it will hurt?" She freaked. Breaking down crying, she sank into the nearest chair. Angel moved to comfort her. Cradling her face with his hand. She shoves his hand away. 

"Don't touch me." She's pissed now. The tears are streaming down a face filled with anger. "Were you even going to tell me?" 

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to. I was hoping that there was some way around it.

She stands up. Backing away from Giles, Angel and the new comer Charlie.

"Oh I've got a way around it. I quit."

She turned to walk out. But Angel called out, stopping her.  
"It's not that simple."

Buffy turned, stalked up to him, got in his face. "I'm making it that simple! I quit1 I resign! I'm fired! You want the Master stopped find someone else!."

"I don't know that anyone else can. All of the signs indicate--" Buffy stopped him there.

"The signs? You want a sign." She picked up one of the books from the table and hurled it at Giles. "Here's a sign. Read the sign for me. Tell me my fortune. You're so useful, sitting around with your books. You're really a lot of help."

"I don't suppose I am." 

"Buffy I know this is hard."

"What do you know about it? You're never gonna die."

"You think I want anything to happen to you? Do you think I can stand it? We just have to find a way --"

"We don't have to find a way, I already found a way. I quit remember. Pay attention."

"Buffy, if the Master rises--"

"I don't care! I don't care! I'm sixteen years old I don't want to die." She ripped the cross Angel gave her off her neck. She lets it drop.

Neither Angel, Giles and Charlie say any thing as she walks out of the room. Snapping out of his daze Angel moves to go after her when Charley finally interrupts. 

"Don't, I'll go after her. Make sure she gets home safely."

As he heads towards the door Angel grabs him.

"You're not going anywhere. We don't know anything about you. You show up out of no where, claim to be a member of the council. Spill the beans to Buffy about something we were trying to keep from her." Shrugging out of Angel's grasp he shoved him up against a book case. 

Flicking his left wrist, he brings his ratchet stake to Angel's throat. 

"She would have found out weather or not I was here. But with me here she stands a better chance." 

Releasing Angel he turned and did his best to glide out of the library gracefully with out looking like a spaz. As the door closed, he broke into a run. He had to catch Buffy. He headed for the front doors. She was probably half way home by now. He hit the front door running. Jumping down the steps. 

Hearing a gasp behind him he skidded to a halt. Turning he saw Buffy stand to the side of the door he hadn't slammed open. She was still trying to calm down. She hadn't wanted to go home and let her mom see her like this.

"Miss Summers. I was just coming to find you."

"Why, did Giles send you after me. You gonna lecture me about my mission and how the world is gonna end if I don't stand up and let The Master kill me."

"I'm not here cause of Giles, Buffy. I'm here because of you. This is the battle that defines your life. Prophecies aren't iron clad. No matter what shaman, seer or prophet writes it down. Let's get you home to your mom."

"I can't do this Charlie. I'm just a kid."

"You're a kid with a great amount of power. Power that won't do you any good if your mom grounds you for not coming home at a decent hour."

"You're awfully obsessed with getting me home."

"It's a big day tomorrow."

"Yeah right." 

They head towards Buffy's home. Buffy thinks nothing of the fact that Charlie knows where she lives. They approach carefully. The lights are on in the house.

"Mom's still up, I don't really want to have to explain you to her."

"It's okay, I'll stay out side, under the tree you use to climb out your window." Get some sleep. Try not to think about," Charlie looked at his watch.. "The rest of the day." 

Buffy looked up at him. She was scanning him trying to figure him out.  
"Are you sure you're a watcher. You don't seem like Giles. You seem…"

"Kind, warm, caring. Don't worry, Giles will get there. He's just as unsure of him self as you are of your self. Now, and I can't emphasize this enough, get too bed." He watched as Buffy climbed up the trellis to her bedroom. He strained to hear what was going on. 

"Buffy, hey, honey, are you all right?"

"I guess mom. It's just been a long day." 

"Yeah, long day, and you're probably just full from that bite of dinner you nearly had before, before running up here and climbing out the window to go see your friends, and maybe you're history tutor." 

"Mom." Buffy rolled her eyes, barely able to keep the tears from coming as she thinks about Angel.

"Talk to me honey, tell me what you are thinking."

Buffy looks at her. Hard. She briefly considered telling her mom the truth. 

"Mom, let's go away." 

Joyce was shocked. This wasn't what she was expecting.

"What?"

"Anywhere. Just for a while. A weekend."

"Buffy…"

"It'll be great. You and me. A mother daughter thing. We'll talk about all the embarrassing stuff you like to bring up. I'll tell you all about how I'm not dating my history tutor."

"Buffy, you know the gallery is open on the weekend."

"Mom, please…?"

"Is that about the prom. It's tomorrow isn't it. I saw a flyer for it in your room when I was getting your locker. The spring fling they're calling it now days right."

"I guess so, I haven't been thinking about it." 

"Nobody asked you to go."

Buffy thought about Xander pouring his heart out to her.

"Someone, but…

"Not the right someone. See? Sometimes I actually do know what you're thinking. Well I suppose it's not the best time for this, but…" 

She stands up and heads over to the closet, and slides opens the door. In side is the dress that she had seen at the mall the other day. She had been looking at it while her mom was in the dressing room. It's hanging there all beautiful and white and perfect.

"I saw you eyeing it at the store when I came out of the dressing room. I thought maybe you'd like it for tomorrow."

"Mom we can't afford this." 

"The way you've been eating. Sure we can, besides. The gallery is doing good."

"Mom it's beautiful, I love it."

"Good, then I think you should wear it to the dance."

"I can't go to the dance."

"Say's who? Is it written somewhere? You can do what ever you want Buffy. My freshman year I went to the Homecoming dance alone, I didn't have a date. All my friends did, so I got dressed up and went by my self."

"Was it awful?"

"It was, it was completely awful for about a half an hour."

"What happened after that?"

"I met your father." Joyce said smiling as she remembered the night of the dance.

Buffy was charmed.  
"Dad was at the dance alone too?"

"Nope he had a date, but that is a story for another time."

"It was that great huh, you had your whole life ahead of you."

"Yeah,"

"It must be nice," Buffy whispered as she hung her mom.

"Go to the dance Buffy, have a good time, show the boys what their missing." Joyce squeezed Buffy once more before getting up to leave. "And get some sleep Buffy you have a big day tomorrow."

Joyce left the room. As the door closed Buffy rushed to the window. Looking out she saw Charlie leaning against the oak tree smoking a cigarette, and extending and retracting his wrist stake.

At least someone was watching out for her.

Late the next morning Joyce came running into the room. Buffy was still in standing in front of her mirror. She was wearing the dress her mom had bought her.

"Buffy, there's something on the news, and Willow's on the phone."

Buffy grabbed the phone on her night stand, checking her window as she picked it up. Charley was still out there. But he was curled up, sleeping.

Charlie stood waiting while Buffy and Willow finished up talking. 

"I'm not okay. I can't imagine what it's like to be okay. I knew those guys. I go to that school every day and sit in that class room. When I walked in there, that wasn't our world anymore. They made it their home they had fun."

The last word sounded bitter. Hateful.

"What are we gonna do Buffy, we can't let them get away with this."

"I won't let them Willow. But you have to promise that you will stay in to night. You and Xander."

"I haven't talked to Xander since the other day."

"Willow you have to stay in. I'll come by and get you and we'll go get Xander and the three of us will have a night out on the town. I'll take care of everything."

"I promise Buffy." 

Buffy hugged her, grabbed her jacket from the bed. And put it on. As she's walking out the door, she called out.

"Hey Buffy," 

Buffy turned, looked at the sweet little girl sitting on the bed. She wasn't so innocent anymore. 

"Yeah."

"I like your dress."

"Take care." With those words she left. Heading out to face her destiny.

Charlie was waiting for her.

"I can't get out of this. I have to face him don't I."

"Yeah, but first you have to go to the Library."

"The part I don't understand is that Buffy is a vampire slayer. She's so little."

"Don't let that fool you. All right, I've told you enough. Did you get in touch with Brother Luca?

"Not a word, As far as I can tell nobody can get a hold of him. He disappeared shortly after sending out one last message." 

"What was the message?" Giles called from the cage. He was breaking out his best weapons. 

"A bible verse, Isaiah 11 verse 6. Know what it says?"

"The wolf shall lie down with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and a little child shall lead them." 

"Why did I know you would have that memorized. "A little child shall lead them." Kind of war and fuzzy for a message of doom and gloom isn't it."

"Depends on where he's leading them to. Aurelius wrote of the anointed one. "the slayer will not know him, and he shall lead him into hell."

"So Luca thinks that the anointed one is a kid?"

"If the vampire Buffy killed was not in fact the anointed one then it very well be."

"Well then we should warn Buffy shouldn't we."

"Buffy isn't going to find out. I don't plan on involving her at all."

"I don't understand."

"Buffy isn't going to face the Master, I am."

"No, your not." Buffy called from the doorway. Charlie was right behind her. "So I'm looking for a kid, huh. He'll take me to the Master."

"No, Buffy you were absolutely right I've been focusing on books for too long. It's time I went out into the real world. I'm not sending you out tonight."

"It doesn't matter Giles. I'm going up against him. Not you."

"I've made up my mind Buffy."

"So have I."

"Well I made mine up first. And I'm older and wiser and I'm in charge so for once please let me act like it." 

"Giles you know that's not how it works. I'm the slayer." 

"I don't care, to hell with the Pergamum Codex. I'm going and there is nothing you can say that will change my mind." 

"I know," Buffy nods.

She nodded. Not to Giles, but to Charlie who was standing behind Giles. Charlie slammed the fire extinguisher against the back of his head, knocking him out cold.

Buffy is picking the cross Angel gave her up off the table. 

Jenny is trying to reason with her. 

"Buffy if you fight the Master you're going to die." 

"Or I might take him with me." Glancing over at Giles she looks sad. "When he wakes up, tell him. You know what, think of something really brave and poetic and tell him I said it."

"Buffy, you're going to need this." Charlie handed Buffy the crossbow. Go get him. He watches sadly as she exits.

"Why are you so sad?" Jenny asked. "I thought Giles said you knew she was going to win."

She will. But it's not going to be an easy win."

Out side Buffy spots Collin. 

"Help me," 

Buffy smiled. The kid was good.  
"It's all right, I know who you are. Take me too him." She grabbed Collin's hand and the two head off.  
"She what!" Xander was furious. Willow had pried him out of his house with some cockamamie story about how Buffy was all doom and gloom. He had thought she was just being too, well too Willow. But it turns out she was right.

"I knew it. I told you something was up with her."

"And she knew about the prophecy. We gotta stop her. How can we help."

"We stay calm, first thing." Giles assured him.

"Calm!

"Xander I think maybe Giles is right."

"I'm sorry. Staying calm may work for Locutus of Borg over there but normal people freak out. That's what I plan to do."

"Xander.." Willow tried to calm him down.

"How could you let her go." 

"I didn't let her go anywhere. He knocked me out." Giles pointed accusingly at Charlie.

"Just who the hell are you anyway?" Xander demanded. 

"I'm a friend, and Giles is right you need to calm down. There's nothing you can do yet."

"He can help try to stop the apocalypse." Jenny suggested.

"Excuse me," Xander was annoyed

"Why is she here anyway?" Willow asked.

"I'm apart of this too, if the whole world ends everybody is going to die. Not just you guys." 

"I don't care, let the world end, if she dies, I don't care about the rest of the world. I'm going to help my friend."

"Xander, you don't even know how to find her." Giles called out as Xander stormed out of the library. 

"I'll get him." Charlie assured Giles, while hurrying after Xander.

He catches up with Xander out in the hall. Pacing and muttering to him self.

"What's the matter Xander?"

Xander looked up. Charlie saw a look of fear and sadness in his eyes. 

"You're really worried about her huh?"

"Yeah, I want to help I just don't know, I don't even know where to go."

"So go ask the man that does."

"Giles said that he doesn't know…"

"I never said Giles. There is someone who knows where." 

Xander's eyes lit up.

Xander pushes past Angel into the his apartment. 

"Mind if we come in?" He asks, strolling by, not really caring if he gets an answer.

"Sure, every one is paying a visit today. Maybe I should actually keep real food in the fridge instead of just blood."

"She's gone."

"What do you mean," That had got his attention.

"Buffy, she's gone. She's going right now to fight the Master."

"Then she's gonna die."

"That's what the prophecy says. But we aren't going to let that happen."

"We?" Angel asked "What are we supposed to do about it?"

"You know where this Master guy is, you can take us to him. Take me to this underground church."

"You are way out of your league kid. The Master will kill you before you can breath."

Xander grabs the cross from his back pocket and shoves it in Angel's face. "Listen to me you soulless bastard. I don't like you. At the end of the day I pretty much think you're a vampire. But Buffy gets all hot and bothered by you. Lives in like this fantasy world where you're a real person. So maybe you can act like one and help me save her."

"Is that love I'm smelling Xander? Do you love her?" 

"Welcome." He called out to her as she entered the church. 

"Thanks," she replied, her voice betraying how cheerful she wasn't feeling. "You really ought to talk to your contractor. I think you've got some water damage."

"You humans do like the playful banter. That's why so few super villains actually succeed in their plans of world domination. They're too busy monologing to do any…."

He cuts his speech short as she fires a cross bow bolt at him. He catches it inches from his heart.

"Nice shot."

"Would you two stop bickering." Charlie ordered. Angel and Xander had been fighting since they left Angel's apartment.

"He keep's looking at my neck." Xander complained.

"I am not looking at your neck." Angel insisted.

"I told you to eat before you left the apartment." Xander warned. 

"You too are worse than Wesley and Gunn." Charlie observed.

"Who," The two boys asked in unison.

"You're not going to kill me with that toy child."

"Don't be so sure."

"You still don't understand your part in all this, do you? You aren't the hunter, you're the lamb."

"We still don't know where the Master will rise. If we are to have any chance of stopping him we have find the hell mouth. Any vampire in Sunny Dale who isn't a complete idiot will want to be there to worship him when he rises."

"The last time the master tried to rise he had that vessel guy trying to get him blood. Do you think he'll do the same this time."

"It's very much possible Willow."

"Where did that happen."

"The Bronze."

"The Prom. Giles all those kids, they have know idea what's going to happen."

"Well we should go warn them."

"You two go, I'll stay here and see if I can't figure out away to stop the Master. Be careful and stay together."

"Let's go, my car's in the teachers parking lot."

She and Willow headed for the other end of the school where the teachers parking lot was.

"For an somebody who is all powerful you sure like playing hide and seek."

"And for someone who is slated to die you sure seem to want this to end quickly. This is a battle that will be talked about for centuries. You will be known as the one who allowed my ascension. I will make sure they carve that on your tombstone."

"Yeah, I think I'd rather it say something like she died old and in her sleep."

"There's my car," Jenny said gesturing towards her sedan.

"And there are the vampires," Willow warned. Three vampires were stalking towards the school. 

"And there are some more," Jenny pointed to five more vampires who were coming from the direction of the student parking lot.

"What do we do? We can't get to you car now. Why are they here, why aren't they going to the Bronze?"

"We must have gotten it wrong. The Master must be coming here. We've got to go warn Giles. As they turned to head back to the school they stopped dead in their tracks.

Back in the under ground church the Master now has Buffy in his grasp.

"Don't be scared child. You tried you did what was expected of you. You tried to fight the prophecy. You heard I would rise and we would battle and you would die. Don't feel bad. You couldn't know that the prophecy wasn't in order. We fight, you die, I rise. Your blood is the key. Your blood makes it possible for me to break through the barrier. Your blood is my life. Your blood will keep me going. Say goodnight now."

The Master drinks deeply. His eyes, nearly hidden by his bat like features, role back into his head as he relishes in the power that he is receiving. When he's had his fill he lets go. She drops him to the ground, falling into a pool of water, her head sneaking beneath the surface.

"Oh god the power. I can feel it. Coursing through me it's wonderful. Its magnificent." He looks down at Buffy. "By the way, nice dress."

Running through the tunnel to the church, Xander, Angel and Charlie brace them selves as it starts to shudder. 

"What's that." Xander cried.

"The master. He's gone up." The look on Angel's face betrays his concern.

"We have to hurry." Charlie cautioned. 

The three of them rushed through the tunnel and into the under ground church. Angel reaches the church first and stops dead in his tracks when he sees Buffy lying in the pool of water. He rushes to her and pulls her out of the water. Holding to her to him he puts his ear to her chest. He turns to face the others who are just then entering the church.

"She's dead."

"We've got to get out of here." 

Willow cried as the vampires kept coming. She shrieked as a car screeched to a stop behind them. Willow an Jenny turned, and were shocked to see Cordi's red car with Cordi behind the wheel.

"Get in." Cordi screamed through the closed window.

"She's not dead." Charlie insisted. "If she drowned we can bring her back," 

"Right," Xander exclaimed. "CPR," He looked at Angel expectantly. 

"I can't do it. I don't have breath."

Xander turned to Charlie. 

"I don't know how pal. Looks Like you're going to have to play the hero here." 

Xander looks nervous.

He took a deep breath, then leaned down and began to breath life into his best friend.

"Come on," Charlie encouraged. "Come back to us Buffy." 

Xander continues the process. It's been a few minutes and Angel is beginning to get frustrated. 

"It's not working." He insisted. "We have to try something else."

"No, it's gonna work. Trust me," He knew it was gonna work. He'd seen it done and he was still nervous. 

Xander was leaning back down to start again when her eyes opened. She looked up and focused, on Xander.

"Xander?" It was a question and a statement. She looks around. Charlie and Angel are standing close looking down expectantly. 

"Welcome back Buffy." Charlie said with a sigh of relief.

"What are these guys?" Cordi cried, as she continued to do donuts in the parking lot.

"Long story, the short version is vampires are real. But the better question is. Why are you doing donuts in the parking lot."

"I was sitting in the parking lot thinking about Kevin and al of the sudden these guys came out of no where."

"No I mean why are you doing donuts now, get us out of here." 

"There's no way out the front gate is locked." Cordi insisted.

Willow grabbed the back of Cordi's seat and yelled in her ear just as she was starting to take another lap around the parking lot.  
"Cordi, we need to get to the library."

"Library, check." She spun the wheel and headed back towards the school. She floored the gas pedal and Willow and Jenny braced them selves when they realized what Cordi's plan was.

"Of course we normally walk there." Willow suggested feebly.

Giles jumped as the sound of the car crashing through the hallway reached him. He was rushing for the door when it flew open and in ran Cordi, Willow, and Jenny.

"What's going on," He cried. What's all that racket.

"Guess," Jenny yelled rolling her eyes as she grabbed one of the large battle axes off the table and hefted it over to the door. Giles helped her wedge the axe between the door handles. 

"But why are they coming here?" He demanded. "It makes no since." 

Back in the stacks something was coming out of the crack that the earth quake had caused.

Up on the roof, the Master was looking down watching as the beast poked its way through. 

"That's right," He cheered. "Rise and lay waste to the lesser beings."

Buffy is sitting up now. Gaining her strength. Angel takes her arm and helps her to her feet. She stumbles a bit and Charlie moves to catch her. 

"Careful, you're still weak." He warned her.

"No I'm not. I'm strong. Stronger now then I was before… Where's the Master?"

"He's gone up already."

"Then we've got to move." She ordered. She lead the charge. Angel Xander and Charlie fall in behind their now confidant leader.

She leads them up through the tunnels and out into the grave yard, her pace quickening the closer she gets to the school.

As they enter the school grounds she begins to doll out orders.

"Angel, Xander you keep the vampires off my back, Charlie you get to the library and help the others. Angel better put your game face on."

He turns to her, his face already in vampire mode.

"I'm way ahead of you."

"Buffy how do you know where the Master will be?"

"Trust me I know." As they approach the school, a vampire steps in the way. "Oh look," Buffy quipped. "A vampire." With out breaking stride, with out even blinking One thunderous punch and the vampire flies out of the way. 

Angel and Xander take their positions in front of the door to the stairs. They tense up as a line of vampires approach. Xander pulls weapons from his back pockets. A cross and a stake. He tosses the cross to Angel who catches it baubles it and tosses it back to Xander and glares at him. 

"I'm sure that was an accident."

"Sure it was. Here." He pulled another stake out of his pocket and handed it to Angel.

Charley headed into the school and made for the library. There were vamps out side the library doors trying to get in. He hesitated. He hadn't thought this through. He hat his wrist stakes. Both of which were in the attack position. But he's never thought he would ever use them. Could he actually fight the vampires. 

Suddenly one of them turned and saw him standing there. It growled. And left the others at the door.

Ready or not, able or not, Charlie was about to find out. 

Inside the Library things were just getting worse. A crash from the back of the library revealed what Giles had feared.

"They're coming in through the stacks." He warned. He grabbed a sword from the table and rushed for the back of the library. He didn't get there. Instead he tripped over the villainous tentacle that was stretching up from the crack in the floor.

"What the hell is that." Willow cried pointing and stepping aside as one of the tentacles tried to grab at her foot."

"It's the Hell mouth!" Giles warned, the truth of the matter finally setting in.

Over at the door Cordi was having a hard time as well. One of the vampires had punched through the glass window and was grabbing around for her. 

"Get away from me," She cried. She grabbed the vampires hand and chomped down. "There, see how you like it." As she bit down the vampires hand turned to dust. "Hey, it worked."

There was a loud crack and the axe handle broke in to and the doors opened. 

"Any body need help?" Charlie asked, as he stepped through the door. 

"Yes, more food for my creature. More food as my child prepares to enter this new world of mine."

"Don't get to excited. It's not your world yet."

The master turns. Stunned. 

"This can't be. You're dead.

"I may be dead, but I'm still pretty. Which is more than I can say for you."

"You were slated to die. It was written."

"What can I say? I flunked the written."

"Stupid child always with the quick wit." He's pissed as hell now. He reaches for her. "Come to me child."

The creature had grabbed wrapped the tentacle Giles had tripped over, around him and was swinging him around and around.

"Giles!" Jenny cried out, terrified. 

"I got him," Charlie assured her, grabbing the broken axe head of the floor and flinging it at the tentacle. 

A shrill cry comes from the back of the library as the creature looses it's appendage.

Buffy is pulled to him, by a force stronger than her. She's fighting it, to no avail, in her mind. 

"Do you really think you can best me up here in the world, when you couldn't below." 

They're face to face now. She's staring deeply into his eyes. He grins wickedly.

She grins back.  
"You have fruit punch mouth." 

"What?" He doesn't get it. Then he does. She's not really under his control. 

The creature looses it's tentacle, and Giles drops to the ground. Landing on one of the weaker tables and breaking it in to. One half falls backwards the pointy end pointing up at the sky light.

They are both throwing and dodging punches. Neither of them can land a blow because they are evenly matched. Finally she lands a punch. He catches her fist in his palm, pulls her to him, lifts her up, spins and slams her down on to the roof of the library. 

He stares down at her. 

"Where are your quips now girl? Will you be able to laugh when your earth is over run with my hell?" 

"You like hell so much?" She asks, grabbing his collar and pulls him towards her. "Go there." 

As she pulls him to her, she puts her foot in his chest lifting him up in the air like John Cusack did to Mini Driver in Grosse Pointe Blank. Flipping him over her head, she sends him crashing through the sky light. He crashes through the glass, and falls face up down to the floor. Landing on top of the broken table. The broken table impales him. He cries out in horror as he realizes his fate.

His clothes and skin begin to turn to dust. He explodes and his body is gone leaving only his bleached white bones.

Buffy enters the library through the doors. Angel and Xander follow close behind.

Charlie, Giles, Willow, Jenny and Cordi are standing over the Masters remains. 

Looking up and seeing the three of them, Giles asks,  
"The Vampires?"

"Gone. They must of felt the Masters death and fled in fear" Xander suggested.

"The Master?" Angel asked. Approaching the Master's bleached bone cautiously.

"Dead," Giles confirmed. "And the Hellmouth is closed. Buffy?"

She bursts in to tears. Everyone around is shocked and confused. Finally she composes her self. 

"Sorry, It's been a really weird day."

"Yeah. Buffy died and everything." Xander informed the group.

"Wow that does kind of suck." Willow agreed. 

Giles grinned. "I should have known that death couldn't stop you."

"Nope death didn't stop her. She saved the world just like I promised." Charlie confirmed.

"So what do we do now?" Jenny asked.

"I don't know about the rest of you," Giles stated. "But I want to get out of the library. All this destruction is creeping me out."

"Hey, there is that party at the Bronze. Could be fun."

"Yeah," Cordi agreed.

"What do you think Buffy?" Willow asked. 

"Sure, we saved the world. I say we party." She looked down at her dress which was soaked with water and covered in rubble. "Besides, I got all pretty."

"What about him?" Jenny asked, indicating the master.

Buffy walks over to the masters bleached bones and and looks at him. There's an almost sad look on her face. 

"He's not going any where. Loser."

They all head out, each of them talking about their own thing.

"I'm not dancing, though." Giles insisted.

"We'll see," Jenny teased.

"Hey what's the story with the car." Xander pondered out loud.

"Oh that was just me saving the day." Cordi informed him.

"Is anybody else hungry?" Buffy asked. "I'm really hungry."

"You can come with us Angel. Get some thing to drink. Or… no don't do that. Just hang out."

"Oh by the way Buffy," Angel began as the group approached the exit. "I love your…."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You love my, wait. Where's Charlie?" She turns and heads back to the library, calling over her shoulder as she goes. "Don't wait for me I'll catch up."

She enters the library and finds Charlie standing over the Master's bleach white bones. He almost looks whiter now than he did a moment ago. Almost like he's glowing.

"Charlie? You coming?"

He looks back at her. There is a sad smile on his face as he shakes his head.

"I don't think I can. I think I'm done here." 

Buffy stares at him. It suddenly dawns one her. 

"You knew this was going to happen didn't you?" Buffy questioned him. "You knew I was going to die and then come back and stop the Master."

"Pretty much, it didn't happen quite like I remembered but I knew you would win."

"Where are you from?" She asked.

"Not here, and I think it's time for me to go back. He reaches out to touch the Masters bleach white bones when she calls to him again.

"Will I ever see you again?" She asks. She almost sounds sad.

"You gonna miss me?" He asked, sounding amused.

"I won't have to miss you if I'll see you again. Will I." 

He looks at her and grins.  
"You know, I think you will. I think I'll be back when you need me most." He lowered his hand and touched the Masters glowing white rib cage. A jerk, somewhere behind his belly button grabbed him and pulled him out of existence. Leaving Buffy alone in the library with the Masters bleached bones. 

Buffy stares for a few minutes. She's never seen anyone disappear into thin air before. But after today, she's almost shock proof. The turns, and walks out of the library, hurrying to catch up with the rest of the gang. The library is empty. Except for what's left of the Master.

Loser.

(Okay, so that's chapter one. Yeah, most of it is stolen directly from my Buffy The Vampire Slayer season one volume two script book. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to copy someone else's work. It was pretty hard deciding which parts to keep the same and where to throw Charlie in. I did my best not to interfere too much with the core of the story. Changing it just enough to make it mine. I hope you liked it and you weren't board anything. Let me know if you want to see chapter three. I'll go on and put the intro in for the next chapter.) 


	3. Chapter 3

Title: The Twelve Doors Author: Saint Saucey E-Mail: Rating: PG Disclaimer: I don't own the Joss Whedon universe, but thanks to the studios desire to make a buck or fifty I was able to purchase all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all five Seasons of Angel. They all fit snuggly on one shelf of my tower and that gave me the idea.  
Classification: Fantasy / Sci-Fi (I'm totally ripping off "The Lion The Witch and the Ward Robe" some "Harry Potter"  
Spoilers: None. You should have all seen the different seasons of Angel and Buffy.  
Summary: Just moments after her witnessing her win her first great battle, Charlie is whisked back to the apartment. Where he steals a few moments peace while waiting for something else to happen. Coupling: I'm going to flirt a little with Dawn, who will be in the last five chapters about Buffy.  
Feedback: Please do, this will be my most ambitious fan-fiction yet, and hopefully I'll actually write all twelve chapters. (P.S.) Look for my other story ""Magical Midnight" and its up coming sequel which should be written by July 19th.  
Distribution: Meh I don't care, post it, print it, read it to your kids at bed time just

Title: The Twelve Doors Chapter Title: Interlude One Place and Time: Charlie's Apartment Complex In Portland Oregon, Just Moments After He had Arrived Home From His First Trip.

Charlie had to kick back. That was a total rush. He hadn't had an experience like that in, well never. The closest thing he could compare it to was the first time he had been on Drop Zone at King's Island. The feeling in the pit of his stomach as he waited for the drop and then when the drop came he still wasn't ready for it.

He cracked open his Mountain Dew, not the best idea because he was already wired enough as it was, and tried to relax. He stared up at his Buffy DVD's trying to figure it out. It was like some bizarre fantasy story. 

"This stuff just doesn't happen." He insisted to no one in particular. He got up and head over to his weapons cabinet. It was sitting open as he hadn't had a chance to close it when he left earlier. He picked a few stakes out of the cabinet. Hefting them, he decided to bring them along just incase. He also grabbed his favorite sword. It was solid steel, and looked like an over sized butchers knife. It had a round whole at the end of the handle that he use to hang it on a hook from his belt.

"The next battle is going to be way more difficult." He said, confident where he was going to be transported to next. There was no doubt in his mind that he was going to be teleported to Buffy's final battle with Angelus.

"I wonder if I will get there before Drusilla kills Kendra or if I'm going to get there at closer to the end of the battle. Maybe about the same time she forms her pact with Spike." His words faltered as the realization hit him. "I'm going to get to meet Spike." He looked down at his outfit. "And I'm dressed just like him." 

This was not good. 

He went to his closet to pick out an outfit. Football jersey, cargo pants, tennis shoes, letterman's jacket. The only problem with the letterman's jacket was the wrists on the sleeves were too tight. The ratchet stakes wouldn't work. He took them off and stuck them back in the weapons cabinet. 

"Looks like you guys will have to sit this one out," He said putting with a sigh of regret. "He turned back to the DVD tower. When he was at camp he had always had this problem with comparing each year to the year before. His councilors would always warn him to participate, not anticipate. He was never very good at it though, he couldn't wait for the next battle. 

Suddenly, a light started glowing. Starting with the Buffy logo, on season two.

"Here we go." He strode over to the DVD tower. Taking a deep breath he reached out and grabbed season two, and began to pull it forward. 

"Giles, Giles." Buffy called as she rushed into Giles apartment. The door was open as she came down into the courtyard. That was not a good sign. 

"I don't think he's here." 

The voice came from behind her on the stairs. There was a guy dressed in dressed like a wise guy standing on the landing. He had his hands in his jacket pockets and he was leaning against the wall. 

"Who are you?" She asked ready for any thing.

"I'm Whistler." He replied, walking down to the foot of the stairs.

"What are you doing here"  
"Well I don't think he needs a date to the prom." A voice called down from the loft. Whistler and Buffy both jumped, startled.

The person belonging to the voice came walking down the stairs. There, standing on the landing, where Whistler had been standing moments ago, was Charlie. 


End file.
